Any One for a Scotch? - Page 126

I would agree, however I found myself underwhelmed by the Lagavulin this time. I think it's because I drank it after the Laphroaig.

Lag 16 is, unsurprisingly, more nuanced than Laph 10.
 

For two that are similarly priced, I also find the lag 16 underwhelming. Perhaps my tatses haven't been fully acquired yet, but I like very much the Lap 10 and 18, but Lag just doesn't do it for me.

Lagavulin 16 is my go to bottle in the winter. Love that scotch.

Laphroig is awesome too, but I feel its a bit too one-note smokey compared to the Lagavulin.

I don't think that's saying much. Amongst all of the Islays I've tried, I'd say that the Laph 10 is the least nuanced of them all. My usual description is that it's the chainsaw of scotches - raw, young, and unyielding. Not the dram if you're looking for something subdued and nuanced. The quarter cask is much lighter and refined and I find it to be a better daily dram.

This may be the case with me as well. However, I usually try the Lag after the Laph, which may be part of the problem. Last nights Lagavulin though just seemed muted and slightly bitter. Usually with Laphroaig I find that a single ice cube is the right amount of water to open the scotch up and let it play, however the Lagavulin seemed to remain closed. This isn't to say that it was bad, I also enjoyed it. I believe my description at the time was that it tasted like the Louisiana after a summer rain.

My thing with Laphroiaig is that they have embraced and are unrepentant in their reliance on that primary note. Beyond the smoke and peat, I usually find myself having to go hunting around for other things. It is heavily skewed towards those characteristics though, and certainly not what I would call the most balanced of Islays. That, from what I recall, I would have to give to Ardbeg - which is what I keep as my office bottle. It still has a beautiful smoky-peat lead, but other notes of salt and wood are allowed to play their parts as well. The Ardbeg 10 I have has a hint of a floral finish to it, which is something I really enjoy.

Ardbeg to me has one of the most incredible noses of any scotch. When I last had a bottle, I would seriously pop it open and smell it every time I walked by it.

The taste wasn't my favorite though. Definitely nice, but definitely the smokiest scotch I have ever tasted, even moreso than Laphroig. And this is coming from someone who likes smokey scotch.

But yeah, that nose...

Laphroaig is awesome. Lagavulin is a lot more pricey but really solid and a bit more complex if you're into that -- I like to have some every once in a while, but it's not my standard. Ardbeg -- at least last time I had it -- was sadly just a worse-tasting Laphroaig. Maybe I should try it again, but last time I bought it I was really disappointed.

Most of what makes Laphoraig and Lagavulin so good is that they're so smooth. Some Scotches may be more 'complex' (quotes there so you can define it however you wish), but so are some motor oils and I don't like to drink them either. That is, I'd rather have a smooth Scotch with a few different things going on than some Scotch-elier final exam question that struggles to go down after a glass or two -- I like to drink Scotch, not taste-test it. Smoothness in whisky is the most important factor in flavor in my opinion.
Edited by why - 1/27/13 at 10:40am

I suspect some people equate sweetness and smoothness.Not so for me. I find that sweetness only camouflages any residual harshness and when it finally reveals itself, it leaves a particularly crude impression.

For myself, I have found that it is the absence or minimization of the raw alcohol taste that creates smoothness. As much as I'd prefer...for the sake of my pocketbook...to like younger whiskys, I find that, in general, whisky that has been aged for more than ten years tend to be smoother than those that are younger. Also more complex, balanced...and consequently more appealing.
Edited by DWFII - 1/27/13 at 3:42pm

What's your favorite "value" everyday scotch? I know this will vary greatly depending on, not so much how much you make, but how much you choose to spend on whiskey. I'd say for me its HP 12. Under $50, solid, available...

Agree.

Sounds like something I will have to check out.

 

I recently found Old Pulteney 12, which can be had for $30-$40USD. Outstanding stuff for the money, with a lot of Island character for what is actually a Highland malt.

I'm rather late joining the conversation here but thought I'd share a few recent experiences/discoveries.

 

I notice a lot of affection for Islays, which I'm not generally a fan of, but one I'd recommend for anyone looking for a gently peated version is Bunnhabhain. I own a 30 yr old A.D. Rattray bottling that is excellent, and have recently had the 25 and 18 year old which are equally (although differently) splendid. In Scotch terms, the 18 isn't that expensive either (under $100).

 

I also recently got a taste of the Macallan 25 year old, and I have to say I was distinctly underwhelmed. Pleasant and soft, but not a ton of complexity. The 12 year old and some of the New Oak bottlings are the best of the core expressions that I've tasted. I generally find the Gordon & Macphail Speymalt bottlings to be more interesting and far better values. 

 

On the other hand, Highland Park 30 year old was just beautiful. HP 18 is far and away my favorite Scotch, and the 30 year old was a beautiful variation on everything I like about the HP 18. Not sure if the 30 is worth the price, but I'm intrigued by both the 25 (which is supposedly the black sheep of HP core expressions) and the new Thor bottling (gimmicky packaging notwithstanding).

 

Also had the HP Scott's Selection 1986 (I think - might have been the '85) that was excellent - a little smokier than typical HP, but still with that elegant heather and brine character.

 

Glen Scotia 12 yr old was another recent winner - I like it best of the limited number of Campbelltown's I've tasted (including Springbank 18).

 

I just picked up bottles of G&M 21 yr old Glen Grant and the Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph 1991 - both are excellent (especially the latter).

 

And if anyone is looking for a screaming value, track down the G&M "George and J.G. Smith" bottling of 21 year old Glenlivet. Can be had for less than $100 and is stonking good Glenlivet.

This has nothing to do with what I wrote.

Laphroaig 10. It costs about $30-$35/bottle here.

In America, Dewars can be had for the same price but I greatly prefer Laphroaig. Dewars is a bit too sweet.

What's that got to do with anything? Are you the ring master/master of ceremony?

Besides, didn't you say...

I just riffed on that.